It’s Monday!
Time to explore a cruise ship.
Cruise Ship Monday
Carnival Paradise
Carnival Paradise is a Fantasy-class ship built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. She began sailing in 1998 as Paradise and was built as the world’s first completely non-smoking cruise ship. Carnival discontinued the no smoking policy in December 2003 because of poor revenue. In 2007, she was renamed Carnival Paradise to match all her Fantasy-class sisters, and in 2021 she was repainted matching Carnival’s new livery.
Carnival Paradise first sailed 7-day cruises from Miami to the Caribbean before repositioning to Long Beach, California in 2004 where she sailed 3- and 4-day cruises to Ensenada, Mexico and Santa Catalina, California. In 2011, she moved to Tampa and began sailing 4- and 5-night voyages to the Western Caribbean and The Bahamas. Between 2017 and 2019, some select voyages sailed to Havana, Cuba, and Key West, Florida. Tony and the lovely Jenny B were on one of those cruises to Cuba in 2017 and he captured this ship tour at that time.
In 2018, Carnival Paradise received a 14th deck and 38 new cabins, and in October 2023, she entered another 14-day drydock in The Bahamas. During the drydock, she received regular maintenance as well as updates to her public spaces and cabins.
The 2,124-passenger Carnival Paradise has 11 guest decks, 54 suites, 564 balcony staterooms, 389 Ocean View staterooms and 19 Interior staterooms. While she may be the final Fantasy-class cruise ship for Carnival, she is still full of fun from bow to stern!
Carnival Paradise has plenty of great dining options. Guests can enjoy Guy Fieri’s famous burgers at Guy’s Burger Joint, tacos and build-your-own burrito bowls at BlueIguana Cantina, hot and fresh pizza at Pizza Pirate, sushi rolls at Bonsai Sushi, and fresh baked treats as well as specialty coffee and tea at the Coffee Bar. The Lido Marketplace has a variety of dining options with something special at each spot.
There are several great bars including the BlueIguana Tequila Bar right next to the pool. The Piano Bar features the resident piano player and the RedFrog Rum Bar offers an array of rum cocktails and frozen drinks.
Guests who like a waterpark will enjoy WaterWorks. The venue features waterslides, racing areas and more to get you wet and keep you cool. Also onboard is a mini golf course with fun obstacles and angles. If you are looking for the adults-only area, The Serenity, you will find it on Deck 9 as well as the promenade, shops and casino.
Carnival Paradise is not short on entertainment. Playlist Productions features talented singers and dancers singing everything from “classic 80s tunes to your favorite movie soundtrack songs.” The Punchline Comedy Club is a great spot for a good laugh. Professional comedians cater to the whole family and also offer an adults-only show.
Carnival Paradise currently sails 4- to 5-day round trip voyages to the Caribbean and The Bahamas. Oh, and we will see you on the Lido!